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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23992666">Just want to relax</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seclina_Lunica/pseuds/Seclina_Lunica'>Seclina_Lunica</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Poké Past, Present &amp; Future Chronicles [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Comedy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:55:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,602</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23992666</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seclina_Lunica/pseuds/Seclina_Lunica</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lance is trying to enjoy his retirement from the Pokémon League on a beach in Galar, but Ash had to come and ruin it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Poké Past, Present &amp; Future Chronicles [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1730098</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Annoying Lance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is Part Two, but it could be considered a stand alone story. This story though is pure comedy. There's no bittersweet ending like Part One.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lance – topless, and wearing short navy-blue swim trunks – was looking for a decent place to park it on the sand. He was going to spend all day today relaxing on the beach; well, Galar didn’t have any official beaches, but as long as it had sand and a coastline, he was content. When he found the perfect place directly under the sunlight, Lance unfolded his striped lounging chair. He then placed a cooler, umbrella, his belt with six Pokéballs attached to it, keys to his rental car, and a large ball that was practically impossible to break by his feet. But, before he went and made himself comfortable, he took all six of his Pokéballs and threw them into the air. The Pokéballs all opened and soon they revealed a Haxorus, Gyarados, Dreepy and three Dragonites. The Gyarados immediately went for the water, but the other dragon Pokémon were eager to play. Smiling and chuckling to himself, Lance tossed the ball with two hands. The ball was heavy and like stated before, hard to break. The last thing he wanted was a dragon claw or one of Haxorus’ tusks popping it; if that happened, he’d have to deal with sad Pokémon for the remainder of the day. For a minute or two, he watched his Pokémon happily kick and toss the ball to one another before putting on his shades and making his way towards the lounging chair. He then opened the cooler, popped open a beer and started baking under the sun. He sighed in relaxation. It was a gorgeous day; not a cloud in the sky. Finally, he could enjoy something that wasn’t G-man related. He had some time now.</p><p>Last year – at the age of thirty-five – Lance retired from the Pokémon League. Before making the tough decision, he had looked inside himself, and eventually came to realize that he had become a washed-up, has been after losing <strong>yet another</strong> tournament in the finals. Reluctantly, he stepped down as Champion and refrained from participating in any Pokémon tournaments or gym battles; however, now that he wasn’t bombarded with Champion duties and paperwork, Lance now had the time to work as a G-man full time. He knew he could battle others in that department. The man was only thirty-six, he had more than enough life left in him for disguises and bringing down the bad guys who were engaging in illegal Pokémon activities. Unfortunately, he was so passionate with his work that he had forgot to take any holidays this year, so his boss took him aside and forced him to take a week off, so he decided that he would enjoy that time off in the Galar region. His whole goal was to tour the region, and then sit on his ass and do nothing. He had no reason to look around, and catch any Pokémon; those years were done too. He had his six Pokémon that were mainly used for G-men assignments and emergencies. He would also allow them to walk around too and get some exercise, but that was it.</p><p>The unofficial beach in Galar was an isolated area, so he could enjoy the time to himself, and stay away from the general public for at least a full day. Despite leaving the Pokémon League, people continued to recognized him, and ask for pictures and autographs, but since he was no longer in any hurry to go anywhere, he could now take his time and actually engage in conversation with these people; eventually though, he could only hang around and chit chat for so long before going crazy.</p><p>Speaking of the general public, Lance suddenly heard two voices jumping around in the area. He tried his best to ignore them in the midst of their yelling and laughing, and attempted to focus on the sound of the tide instead, but alas, their noises were much more overwhelming to his senses. It’s too bad that he forgot his wireless earbuds at the hotel, where he could block out all sound and drift into a blissful sleep.</p><p>Lance opened one eyelid. He observed two young men – around sixteen or seventeen years of age – near the water, kicking and splashing around as if they were Magikarp. He assumed they were the same height, but it was hard to tell when he was lying down. Also, they both obtained black hair, but one of the boy’s skin was a little bit darker than the other. There were also Pokémon at their feet, but he wasn’t going to be a snoop and examine what they were, because he had one goal in mind today, and he was going to achieve it.</p><p>Lance then closed his eyes again, and tried finding the sound of the waves again, but the boy’s laughs were still in the way. They then began talking, and Lance decided to eavesdrop. It’s not the first time, and he found it fun and sometimes useful; especially if he discovered that there were cases of improper treatment of Pokémon.</p><p>The first boy said, “I wonder what kind of Pokémon we will discover here? A water type would be awesome.”</p><p>The other boy gasped, “How cool would that be!?” He then clenched his fists and said, “Do you think a legendary Pokémon could be around here too?”</p><p>“Maybe.”</p><p>“Yes! I’m praying to Arceus that we find one. I can’t wait to add it to the Rotom Dex!”</p><p>The other boy placed his hand just over his eyes to block out the sun as he gazed into the horizon. He said, “There might be another island here with rare Pokémon; just like the one with all of the Dragonite!”</p><p>With his eyes still closed, Lance thought. <em>“Dragonite? Here in the Galar region? That’s strange. I’ve never heard of such a place. An island with Dragonite? Before I leave, I’ll have to approach them and ask where this place is. Maybe there’s some illegal activity going on there. I’ll have to investigate. Wait – what am I saying? I’m on vacation. Okay, let’s just enjoy today.” </em>Without warning, Lance’s Dreepy decided to appear on his stomach and tried to take a nap. Ugh, he hated it when it did that. The unnecessary weight was the last thing he needed.</p><p>Just then, the two boys looked to the side and saw five other Pokémon.</p><p>“Cool,” the darker boy shouted, “It’s a Dragonite; there’s three of them…and a Haxorus! I can’t believe my luck!”</p><p>The other boy said elated, “And a shiny Gyarados!”</p><p>Lance slightly smiled. <em>“Hmm…it’s so nice to see and hear that people continue to appreciate dragon-type Pokémon. It’s music to my ears.”</em></p><p>“They must be wild!”</p><p>Lance furrowed his brows.<em> “What? Wild?”</em></p><p>Then, the darker boy shouted, “LET’S CATCH THEM! I BROUGHT MORE POKEBALLS THIS TIME!”</p><p>Lance’s eyes immediately opened after hearing that. <em>“NOPE!”</em> He quickly shot up, almost falling out of his chair in the process.  Whilst holding his Dreepy close to his chest, Lance exclaimed, “Hey, you! Get away from my Pokémon!”</p><p>The young men then looked at Lance with a startled expression. The darker one said, “Oh? They’re your Pokémon?”</p><p>“Yes,” Lance said, getting out of the chair with his Dreepy, and marching over to the potential troublemakers. “Now, get away from them or I’ll hyper beam your ass into oblivion!” He didn’t like talking to young people this way, but if it meant protecting his Pokémon, then he wouldn’t hold back.</p><p>As if sensing their trainer’s anger, the three Dragonite and Haxorus turned to the two boys and growled. The Gyarados in the background was busy lurking in the water, looking for a bite to eat.</p><p>“Oh,” the darker boy said while slowly backing away from the Pokémon. He thought, <em>“This guy isn’t kidding around.”</em></p><p>Suddenly, the other boy with the hat said, “Lance! Is that you? No way!”</p><p>Lance was immediately taken aback. There weren’t many strangers that called him by his name in such a cheerful manner. He then took off his sunglasses to get a better view of the boy. Well, he wasn’t really a boy anymore. He was taller, older, but still had that babyish look to him. “Ash?”</p><p>Ash nodded, then laughed. “Yyyep!”</p><p>“LANCE?! Do you mean <strong>the Lance?</strong> Champion Lance of the Johto region?” The other boy then turned to Lance and examined him. No doubt it was Champion Lance; the red hair and dragonesque eyes gave him away easily.</p><p>Lance said to Ash with a smile, “Well, long time no see. I didn’t think we’d meet again in the Galar region. How did you know it was me?”</p><p>“I’d recognize that wild, red rat’s nest anywhere.”</p><p>Lance comically cocked his head the side. He gave a look of defeat. <em>“So, its true. My cape is not how people recognize me. I’ll never be able to walk anywhere in peace now.”</em></p><p>The boy beside Ash looked shocked. The last time he had seen Lance was from a distance at the World Championships in Galar a couple of years ago. The man had lost, but gracefully accepted it. He was so cool, but it was odd seeing him without his iconic Johto attire and cape. “Wooooah Ash, you know Champion Lance?”</p><p>Ash replied, <strong>“Do I know him?</strong> We met a long time ago when Lance was working as a Pokémon G-man.”</p><p>“Yes,” Lance confirmed, “It was a time when I was much younger. I still work as a G-man though.” He then looked at the young man beside Ash, held out his hand and said, “Oh – forgive me. I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m Lance.”</p><p>Ash raised a brow. That was weird. Ash wondered why he didn’t say that he was a G-man or a member of the elite four in the midst of his introduction.</p><p>The boy accepted the man’s gesture. Upon touching Lance, he immediately stiffened. He couldn’t believe that he was shaking hands with a Pokémon League celebrity. “I’m Goh. We totally watched you at the World Championships in Galar. You know, the one you lost.”</p><p>“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Goh. Yes – I thought that Dragon Dance plus Aqua Tail and Ice Fang would’ve KO’d Champion Leon’s Charizard, but unfortunately, his Charizard had a bit more edge than the other elite Charizard trainers I’ve come across.” He looked back at Ash. “How’s Pikachu doing? He wasn’t feeling so hot the last time I saw you.”</p><p>On que, Pikachu jumped onto Ash’s shoulder and chirped with excitement, “PIKA! PIKA!”</p><p>Lance raised a hand and scratched under the electric Pokémon’s chin. Pikachu didn’t mind it. “It’s nice to see that you’re doing better. So, what are you doing in Galar Ash?”</p><p>Ash replied, “Goh and I have decided to go on another adventure here in Galar. There’s still so much we haven’t seen, and we thought we could find some new Pokémon here in this spot.”</p><p>“Be careful, Ash,” Lance said in all seriousness, “Recognize your surroundings, and refrain from trying to catch other trainer’s Pokémon, because you could get seriously hurt; and there are people around here who aren’t as forgiving as I am.” Lance then took a quick look at the sky and saw that the sun had changed its position. He couldn’t stand here and chit chat much longer, because knowing Ash, the longer he talked, the better the probability that something was bound to happen. The young man was a trouble magnet, and he wanted nothing to do with any problems that would occur while on his forced vacation. He also wanted to soak in as much daylight as possible.</p><p>Without further ado, Lance placed his shades over his eyes. He said, “It was nice seeing you again, Ash, but unfortunately I must get back to work.” He then went back to his lounging chair and laid back down in comfort.</p><p>“WHAT? That’s it?” Goh said, absolutely flabbergasted, “I thought a Champion would be a little more sociable with his audience!”</p><p>Ash said, puzzled, “What’re you doing here, Lance?”</p><p>Lanced waved off Ash sloppily, “I’m a G-man, I’m working undercover.”</p><p>Ash and Goh looked at one another before peering over their shoulders to see the older man’s Pokémon playing happily on the beach. Working? Undercover my ass.</p><p>“Uh – undercover?” Ash said while scratching his temple. Why was Lance acting so weird?</p><p>“I’m disguising myself as a civilian. My mission is to relax today with zero interruptions.” He placed a finger against his mouth. “Now, shush.”</p><p>Goh couldn’t believe this man’s demeanor. “What?!”</p><p>“I said shush.”</p><p>Ash crossed his arms. “Are you getting paid while you’re disguised as a civilian?”</p><p>“It’s paid vacation, actually.”</p><p>Bull. Ash marched over to Lance’s chair and ripped off his sunglasses, allowing the sun rays to blind the man. “ACK! What are you doing, Ash?”</p><p>“You’re acting strange,” Ash said.</p><p>Lance retrieved his sunglasses from Ash with a deep frown. Should he tell him? He wasn’t sure if Ash knew about his retirement or not. It was breaking news in the Pokémon tabloids for at least six months, so it is hardly new news, but knowing Ash, he would’ve been on a dangerous adventure during that time, and would’ve skipped past that whole mess. “Strange how?”</p><p>Ash answered, “When you introduced yourself to Goh, you just said you are Lance. You said nothing about being a Champion, an elite four member or a member of the Pokémon G-men. To be honest, I think Goh knows about all of that already, but it’s just…weird. You’re not acting like the Lance I once knew. He was humble.”</p><p>So, Ash didn’t know. Lance put his sunglasses back on his face. He leaned back and placed his hands behind his head. He said, “I retired from the Pokémon League last year, and stepped down as Champion. You won’t be seeing me in anymore in the elite four or any tournaments.”</p><p>Ash answered, shocked, “What? Are you serious?”</p><p>Go shouted, “WHAT?! HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS?”</p><p>Ash said, “But…why? You're only in your mid thirties?”</p><p>Lance shrugged, “I got tired of losing, I guess. The Champion title was also becoming cumbersome.” There was more to it, but he wasn’t going to delve into the subject any further. The emotions that came with his retirement were still raw. “If you’ve paid any attention to my career, you’ll see that my statistics aren’t favourable in the last five years. The elite four is one thing, but championships are another.”</p><p>Ash grumbled, “That’s a silly reason.” Was he in denial?</p><p>Lance tried to reason, “Ash, as trainers, we all become washed-up eventually. It happens to the best of us, and some sooner than others. I just realized that my time in the League is over. The Pokémon G-men are what keep me busy now. Hmm…but I still have free time.”</p><p>Ash smiled. He then said with excitement in his voice, “Wait – that means you have the time to battle me!”</p><p>“Yeah,” Goh said with stars in his eyes, “It would be so cool to see <em>Lance the Dragon Master</em> in action one last time.”</p><p>“No way!” Lance said quickly, too quickly.</p><p>The two boys were taken aback. “Huh?”</p><p>“I don’t do that sort of thing anymore. My focus today is to relax, and nothing is going to stop me from doing just that.”</p><p>Ash said with eyes that could melt one’s heart, “Please, Lance?”</p><p>Goh said with his hands folded too, “Please, Champion Lance? It would be an honor to take a picture of a battle between the former Champion of Johto against the current Champion of Alola!”</p><p>Lance blinked. That was new. “I’m sorry…you said…Champion of Alola?”</p><p>Ash huffed, “If you’ve been paying any attention to <strong><em>my</em></strong> career, you’ll see that I’m Champion of the Alola region.”</p><p>Lance grinned from ear to ear. It was exciting to see such a young man grow up to be an excellent trainer. Now the hard part was the paperwork and defending the title. “Congratulations, Ash. I’m truly happy for you! It’s good to see a friend reach the elite ranks. It’s too bad I won’t be able to see you during meetings or tournaments. And my sincere apologies. I must’ve been infiltrating a team Aqua base or something during that time. HAHA!”</p><p>Goh turned his head and looked over his shoulder. He said to the audience, “This guy is weird.”</p><p>“Anyways,” Lance said, still kicking his feet back, “Sure, I’ll battle you. Dragonite?”</p><p>All three Dragonites turned to look at Lance, but only one went to him. It was his most trusted Dragonite out of them all. “Dragonite, Ash here wants to battle.” The Dragonite nodded towards its trainer without a second thought. It understood.</p><p>Ash said, stepping back and ready with his Pokéball, “Wait – aren’t you going to get up or something?”</p><p>Lance pursed his lips. “No, I don’t need to. I told you that I’m supposed to relax. Boss’ orders.”</p><p>“Fine,” Ash said in frustration. Lance was being a pain. “Go, Dragonite!”</p><p>Lance sat up, lowered his head and peered over his sunglasses. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Ash caught a fully evolved Dragonite? Holy shit. They were hard to come by in Galar. Where on Arceus’ green earth did Ash manage to find one without raising a Dratini? It took Lance <strong>years</strong> to fully evolve his Dratini into a Dragonite. “Well, I see you’ve been busy with your training. That’s quite the Dragonite.” He then went back to relaxing.</p><p>Ash compared Lance’s Dragonite to his. His opponent’s dragon Pokémon was much bigger, and was probably the most intimidating Dragonite Ash had ever seen. Meanwhile, if you put them side to side, his Dragonite looked like it was ready to hug the opponent to death and win it over with friendship rather than properly engage in a fierce battle.</p><p>Lance said with a sleek smile. “Dragonite, you know what to do.”</p><p>Lance’s commands were vague, but Ash knew it was because he had trained his Pokémon so well that he didn’t have to tell them what to do. Lance’s Dragonite slowly marched over whilst giving an imposing glare. It then roared.</p><p>Ash ordered his Pokémon, “Dragonite…”</p><p>But before Ash could finish his command, Lance’s Dragonite appeared behind his, grabbed the back of its head and shoved Ash’s Dragonite’s face into the ground rather hard.</p><p>Ash gasped, “No way! Dragonite, get up and use twister!”</p><p>However, as Dragonite got up, it suddenly noticed a large beam of light released from the other side. Unable to get out of the way from the vicious Hyper Beam, Dragonite was hit square in the chest and fainted. The battle was over in less than ten seconds. “What? Are you kidding me?”</p><p>Lance and his Dragonite quickly high fived before it went back to its friends, and continued playing catch.</p><p>Ash stood there frozen. His legs were shaking. He murmured, “I can’t I believe I lost so easily.”</p><p>Goh went up to his friend cautiously. He said, “It’s okay, Ash. You’ll do better next time. Lance is just on another level. That just means you’ll have to train more and get stronger. Besides, there was a reason why he’d been Champion of Johto and leader of the elite four for so long.”</p><p>Lance closed his eyes, further attempting to bake in the sun. He was hoping that Ash losing the battle so terribly would make him go away.</p>
<hr/><p>Meanwhile, lurking in the distance behind some trees, were Team Rocket consisting of Jesse, James and Meowth. They were carefully watching between the tree trunks in their usual white uniforms. Jesse started, “Did you see how strong that Dragonite was?”</p><p>James answered her, “It took down the twerp’s Dragonite like it was a puny little Caterpie.”</p><p>Meowth then said, “Let’s catch it for the boss, and we’ll take the Pikachu while we’re at it.” The talking Pokémon was ready to move forwards and pounce on his enemies, but Jesse grabbed the cat by the scruff and pulled him back.</p><p>“You idiot,” she said, “You saw what that Dragonite is capable of. Our Pokémon aren’t strong enough.”</p><p>“Even if they work together?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“That’s right,” said James with a smile, “Instead, we have this super uber new metal thing that’ll catch that Dragonite and Pikachu without a problem. We just fire it, and <em>BOOM</em>, a net comes out and the Pokémon will be in our possession.”</p><p>Jesse said, “Not to mention that the net can be coated with any nature type. For example, if the Dragonite is caught in this net, we set it to ice, and the Dragonite will faint right away.”</p><p>Meowth comically cried, “And the boss will finally recognize us!”</p><p>Jesse and James said together, “And we’ll go down as one of the greatest Team Rocket members in history!”</p>
<hr/><p>When Dragonite was back inside its Pokéball, Ash approached Lance with a frown. He said adamantly, “Lance.”</p><p>Lance sighed, “What do you want now, Ash?”</p><p>“I want a rematch.”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“But why?”</p><p>“Because I’m on vacation!” The man then calmed down before taking his shades, and placing them over his head; no doubt his hair would tangle around the frames. He exhaled before saying, “You want something from me, Ash? What is it?”</p><p>Ash looked at his watch. He then said, “Lance, it’s almost lunch time, and I would really appreciate it if we could catch up. After all, it’s been forever since we saw each other last. I have so many adventures that I want to share with you.”</p><p>Lance’s right eyebrow twitched. When was he going to get any peace today?</p><p>The red-haired man said, “Ash, what is there to catch up on? My life is uneventful.”</p><p>“But mine is.”</p><p>Lance examined Ash further. The young man decided to make himself look like a kicked Dratini. Lance liked to call this kind of expression <em>The Power Glare</em>, because it always worked on him. Ash tried again with this look, “But Laaaaance, I haven’t seen you in so long.” Lance sighed. This was Ash. How could he say no to such an interesting and loveable character? He was too nice sometimes.</p><p>“Fine,” Lance said, “I know a good restaurant in Hammerlocke. I haven’t been there in a long time, but I remember it had decent lunches.” He then rose to his feet again. The Dreepy in his arms decided to vanish. “But after that, I need to spend some time on my own, is that understood Ash?” He found that when he was confident and assertive with the young man, that he would agree with him on anything and everything.</p><p>Ash smiled, “I totally understand.”</p><p>Goh said, “Awesome! Lunch with a former Champion. I can’t wait to hear all of the cool stories!”</p><p>Lance started folding his lounging chair. He responded to Goh’s statement with a slight chuckle, “To be honest, my stories aren’t that exciting, but I’m sure Ash has ones that will stand the test of time.” He then lightly smiled. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”</p>
<hr/><p>Team Rocket watched the sorry bunch gather their Pokémon and belongings before sauntering over to Lance’s rental car. They then took a quick glimpse of the red-haired man who was looking at the sun and then his watch. James said:</p><p>“Hey, that guy looks familiar.”</p><p>Jesse replied, “Now that you mention it, he does.”</p><p>Meowth added, “It’s goody-two-shoes Lance the G-man!”</p><p>“The what?”</p><p>“The G-man!”</p><p>Jesse placed a finger on her chin. “So that was his Dragonite.”</p><p>James said, “Which means that it’s really strong. The boss will surely be pleased with us!”</p><p>Jesse shifted her eyes from side to side before saying to her teammates. “Come on, let’s go follow them.”</p><p>But before they could go anywhere, a Dreepy appeared in front of them, and made a nightmarish face. Team Rocket jumped three feet and screamed before making an escape. The Dreepy laughed before flying back to its trainer.</p>
<hr/><p>Lance and the two boys were well on their way to Hammerlocke. They had been on the road for at least an hour and had another twenty minutes to go before entering the city’s gates. On the passenger’s side, Ash’s hand was resting underneath his chin as he gawked at the beautiful scenery in front of him. He had a gut feeling that the drive was long, because Lance which taking the scenic route which consisted of a one lane highway. Lance kicked himself for it later, because he found one lane highways were a death trap. There was no room to maneuver if something were to happen.</p><p>To be honest, Ash was elated to see Lance again, but he hated the fact that the Dragon Master retired from the Pokémon League; he really hoped that he could’ve officially battled him one day. Then, he thought about their Dragonites on the beach earlier. He battled Leon pretty iffy, so why couldn’t he do the same with Lance?</p><p>Lance commented, “It’s such a beautiful day. You both said that you were looking to capture some Pokémon. There are plenty in these more forestry areas. When we’re finished with lunch, I’ll take you to a secret route just outside of Hammerlocke where I used to find Pokémon when I was around your age. Who knows, you might catch a dragon-type if you look for one hard enough.”</p><p>Ash then crossed his arms. He said, “I don’t need to catch another dragon-type. I have Dragonite.”</p><p>Lance was taken aback by that answer, but nonetheless, “Oh – that’s right. I’ve been meaning to ask either one of you. I overheard you two saying that there was an island full of Dragonite.”</p><p>Goh added, “Don’t forget the Dratini and Dragonair!”</p><p>Lance asked carefully, because he had a feeling that these kids were told to be quiet, “Is it a natural place? Or do you think there’s Pokémon trafficking going on over there?”</p><p>Ash was told not to say anything about the island, but he trusted Lance with the information, “Don’t worry, it’s completely natural, and the Pokémon there look very happy. The one I caught was originally a Dragonair, and it took quite a liking to me.”</p><p>Lance nodded. Maybe he should still investigate the area just in case. Lance then saw something out of the corner of his eye. He looked to his right and saw steam rising from the hood of the car. He immediately pulled over, and exited the vehicle. He popped open the hood and opened it only to find coolant bubbling and flowing out of the vehicle at a rapid pace. “Shit.”</p><p>Ash got out of the car and approached his friend. He asked, “What’s going on?”</p><p>Lance grumbled, “Piece of shit vehicle overheated. I paid good money for this rental too.”</p><p>Hearing Lance’s last statement, Goh got out of the car too. “It overheated? Do you mean the car broke down?”</p><p>Lance sighed, “Unfortunately. I guess that means we’re walking to Hammerlocke. I could use my Pokémon to get us there, but seeing as there’s too many of us, and too much to carry, I see no other option.”</p><p>Goh then had an idea, “Hey, you have three Dragonite. Why don’t we all ride one and carry stuff at the same time.”</p><p>Lance squinted at Goh. He exclaimed, “No way. As if I’d let you ride one of my Dragonite on your own. Besides, you’d get thrown off before you get two feet off the ground.” Lance then went to the back of the vehicle and rummaged through his stuff. He took out a black T-shirt and put it on, along with his red leather jacket. He then grabbed the rest of his belongings that he was going to use at the beach, and dropped it in Goh’s hands.</p><p>“ACK!” Not expecting Lance’s shit to be plopped in his hands, Goh shouted, “What’re you doing?”</p><p>Lance said, “Since I left my Pokégear in Johto, I’ll call for a tow truck when we reach a Pokémon centre in Hammerlocke. It’ll be about a forty-minute walk. Who knows, maybe we’ll be lucky and catch someone who can give us a ride.</p><p>“That doesn’t answer my question,” Goh yelled, “Why are you giving all of your stuff to me?”</p><p>This time, Lance answered, “You’re going to be my pack mule.”</p><p>“What? Why me? It’s your stuff!”</p><p>“You look much stronger than me. I don’t think I will be able to carry it.”</p><p>Goh shouted back, “Dude, you have muscles! You are more than capable of carrying everything.”</p><p>“Fine,” Lance crossed his arms, and looked away, “then Ash can help you carry.”</p><p>Goh tried to raise his fist. “That still doesn’t help the situation.”</p><p>“You both interrupted my day at the beach. It’s only fitting that you pay for it. Besides, I know that I’ll be paying for lunch in Hammerlocke, so this’ll be the least you can do as appreciation for my good will.”</p><p>Goh said, “I know!” He aimed a finger at Lance. “I challenge you to rock, paper, scissors. It’s between you and me! Whoever wins has to carry your belongings the entire way.”</p><p>Lance stared at the boy for a few seconds before saying, “That sounds fair.”</p><p>“Alright, let’s do this!”</p><p>“Goh,” Lance said holding out his hand confidently, “I’m going to throw paper, ready?”</p><p>Goh was startled by that remark. He wasn’t ready.</p><p>“Rock, paper, scissors!”</p><p>Goh panicked. He threw scissors whilst Lance threw rock.</p><p>Lance then quickly turned away and made a dramatic pose, relishing in his victory. “Hmph, welcome to the real world.”</p><p>Goh looked at his fingers that were still in the scissors position. “EHH?!”</p><p>Ash then placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you carry.”</p><p>Goh made a sour face, “That lazy bastard.”</p><p>Ash smiled, “Lance isn’t usually like this. I think he just wants to get back to enjoying the sunny day as soon as possible. Here, let me help you…”</p><p>“No,” Goh said, defeated, “I lost fair and square.”</p><p>
  <em>Chapter 2 is next…</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Annoying Lance Some More</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After a forty-minute walk to Hammerlocke, Lance went to the city’s Pokémon centre. There, he used the video phone, and called a tow truck company. He said that they ditched the vehicle on the highway and that it was one of the worst rentals he’d ever used.</p><p>“Where do you want it taken to, sir?”</p><p>“Back to where it originally came from,” Lance said calmly. He told them the address, but what he really wanted to say was to send it to where it truly belonged – the junkyard. Unfortunately, he didn’t want to have any lawyers or insurance companies on his ass again, so he kept quiet. He then told them that he left the door unlocked and hid a $100 bill in the glove compartment. He preferred to pay with cash when he was in a different region. By paying with cash, he could call himself whatever he wanted – like John Doe – and they wouldn’t be able to trace him or care for that matter.</p><p>After he finished, they left the Pokémon centre and headed for their original destination. Lance made sure to keep his shades on as he sauntered down the streets with the Ash, Goh and Pikachu behind him, still carrying his shit. He did this to keep his identity a secret; after all, he was ‘undercover’ as a civilian; however, he was pretty sure it wasn’t going to work since his hair was what made him stick out like a sore thumb. He was used to being in the public eye, but he didn’t feel like being bombarded by crowds today. He just wanted to get Ash and his friend away from him, so he could enjoy some sunshine while he still had the chance. According to Galar’s weather network, it was supposed to rain for the next few days. He looked at the sky. Why did this have to happen to him?</p><p>Struggling to carry half of Lance’s stuff, Ash whined, “Lance, where are we going? We’ve been walking for at least an hour, and I’m tired. Laaaance.”</p><p>Lance answered, “There’s an old restaurant in this city that makes food suitable for lunches, but I can’t seem to find it.” After ten more minutes of searching the big medieval city, Lance eventually found the place, but it was no longer the restaurant he remembered. It was a battle café; whatever that was. He then thought to himself, <em>“Damn it! Why is it that everything I like either goes out of business or comes off the menu? It’s frustrating!”</em></p><p>Ash said, “Quit being melodramatic. What happened to you, Lance? You used to be so nice and humble. If this is the real you, I should go straight to the press and state that LANCE THE DRAGON MASTER IS A COMPLETE ASSHAT!”</p><p>Lance snapped, “Don’t you dare, Ash Ketchum. I’ve always been a nice and humble human being. I’m just being nasty today, because I was having a great start to my day at the beach until two young men tried to steal my Pokémon.”</p><p>Then, an awfully unfamiliar voice said, “Lance the Dragon Master, huh?”</p><p>Lance quickly turned around to see where the voice had come from. Surprisingly, it was an older gentleman, who dressed like he didn’t belong in Hammerlocke. He was freshly cut, in a business suit, and bore a condescending look. Lance noticed that the man’s hand was rubbing against his chin, and he was squinting, giving Lance the indication that the man was trying to recall something. Lance recognized what was going on right away. He thought, <em>“Oh no, it’s one of<strong> those</strong> people who half recognize you. They’re worse than the ones that are insanely obsessed with you.”</em></p><p>The stranger approached Lance confidently. He said, “So, you say you are <em>The Lance</em>?” He then placed his hands on his hips and leaned forwards. The man towered over Lance, but mind you, Lance wasn’t as tall as most men. “How<strong> dare</strong> you identify yourself as one of the greatest dragon trainers in the entire league? What would he be doing out here anyway? I mean, I know he retired, but it’s no reason for you to use a false identity.”</p><p>Lance jerked. “False identity?!” He thought again, <em>“I can’t believe this. Why do I get the feeling that it’s going to be a chore to walk away from this guy?”</em></p><p>He then heard Ash and Goh snigger from behind. He was about to turn around and ask what was so funny about the whole situation, but then he told himself that he should really focus on the problem in front of him first. Lance tried, “Sorry, but I’m not using any false identities. I really am Lance the Dragon Master. I’m also a former member of the elite four and former Champion of the Indigo Plateau.”</p><p>The man laughed. He continuing laughing until it eventually faded into a, “I bet you wish you were.”</p><p>“Seriously,” Lance said whilst placing a hand against his chest, “I really am Lance. I just decided to take a trip to Galar for a vacation…”</p><p>The older man interjected. “Oh yeah? If you’re the real Lance, where’s your cape? Where’s your Johto attire? You are an imposter, and that’s not cool.”</p><p>Lance said, “I’m retired! Everything is at home.” He should’ve walked away long ago. This was getting out of hand.</p><p>The stranger then said, “Besides, why would Champion Lance want to come to Galar? He knows that Dragonite are banned in the Galar region.”</p><p>Quickly, Ash appeared beside Lance and muttered to him, “Wait – you didn’t tell me that Dragonite are banned in Galar.”</p><p>“Shut up,” Lance said to Ash in a harsh whisper, “There are restrictions when it comes to Dragonite. I could bring one over legally, but I had to smuggle the other two through customs. It was bad enough going through that.” He then focused his attention back onto the confused stranger. “Look, I don’t know what else to tell you, but I am Lance.”</p><p>Lance then started rambling, and giving the stranger information that only the true Dragon Master would know, but it seemed that the more he tried to convince the man that he was really Lance, the less he believed him.</p><p>“I still don’t believe you, but,” the man said with a small smile, “the resemblance…is uncanny.”</p><p>Lance shook his head. Why? Why him?</p><p>The man continued, “Have you ever thought about doing those <em>– you know –</em> look alike shows? Your headliner could be <em>‘The Dragon Tamer.’</em> It would be like a circus or something.”</p><p>Lance finally decided to play along, “No, I haven’t thought about that.”</p><p>“Because you could make an <strong>absolute fortune</strong>.”</p><p>When Lance was finally able to get rid of the guy, he immediately grabbed Ash’s ear, and started dragging him to wherever the city sold something edible for human consumption. Goh wasn’t too far behind; he was still struggling with Lance’s belongings. Lance stated, “I’m undercover, Ash. You’re not allowed to say my name anymore.” At this rate, he wasn’t going to make it back to a beach at all.</p><p>“Ow, ow, ow!” Ash yelped, “Lance, you’re a big meanie!”</p><p> Then, another voice, however wavering, stopped Lance in his tracks, “So…it’s really…you?”</p><p>Lance winced; not another one. He squared himself up with the voice and took off his sunglasses to get a better look at the figure standing a little too far away. The man was much taller than him, and had a darker complexion. He had black hair that looked like it was in a ponytail with an orange cap of some sort on his head. His shoes were enormous, he was sporting a weird looking hoodie, and the design on his blue-ish/purple shorts reminded him of his Johto getup. In the end, Lance determined that if he were ever stuck in a frozen wasteland with this guy, that he surely wouldn’t lose him in the snow.</p><p>“Who’re you?” asked Lance.</p><p>The stranger scurried over to Lance’s side with stars in his eyes. He introduced himself, “I’m Raihan! Holy sh – it’s a pleasure to meet you!” He then aggressively grasped the Dragon Master’s hands, and said with an excited tone, “I’m your biggest fan! I’ve got to take a selfie, quick!”</p><p>Lance was startled by this fan’s personality. “A-and you are?!”</p><p>“I’m Raihan; the gym leader of Hammerlocke Stadium!”</p><p>After that statement, the costume suddenly made sense. Memories were quickly falling back into place. “Wait – what was your name again?”</p><p>“Raihan!”</p><p>Lance said, “Raihan? Hey, I remember you when I came to Galar to polish up my dragon-type techniques and strategies. You were just a boy then.”</p><p>“I…stood out to you?” Raihan said, a little sheepishly.</p><p>Lance said with a smile, “Yes – every time I looked at you, you were always hiding behind a corner. And to think after all these years I thought you were scared of me the entire time!” He then laughed.</p><p>That was a punch in the gut. Raihan couldn’t believe that Lance thought he was scared of him for a full year.</p><p>“Well, time flies. It’s good to see that someone so shy grew up to be a gym leader with remarkable skills no doubt.”</p><p>Raihan laughed. He didn’t know what to really say; he was still a little starstruck. It was hard to comprehend that your childhood idol you met once in your past was in the very same room as you just making basic conversation.</p><p>Raihan then suggested, “Hey – why don’t you come to Hammerlocke Stadium for nostalgia’s sake? Trust me, it’ll be fun.”</p><p>“Um,” Lance said hesitantly, and with a weird smile, “I’m sorry, but I have to decline. I’m unfortunately busy for the remainder of the day.” Shit. He had to get out of here. “I must go back…”</p><p>Suddenly, an arm harshly wrapped around Lance’s neck. Raihan said with a bright smile. “Come on, it’ll be fun! Besides, what is a retired Pokémon Champion busy with on such a beautiful day?”</p><p>Lance looked at the sky and gave a defeated look. He thought, <em>“All I wanted to do today was go to the beach and relax. Is that so hard to comprehend? Sigh, the ice in my cooler has probably melted by now. Rest in peace my beergaritas.”</em></p><p>Raihan then noticed Ash and Goh behind Lance, who looked a little starstruck themselves. “Are they with you?”</p><p>Lance bowed his head and sighed, “Unfortunately.”</p><hr/><p>After some more walking, Lance and company all reached the Hammerlocke gym. Lance, Ash and Goh all took a quick glance at the front entrance of the stadium. Lance squinted. The outside looked a little different than what he remembered, but mind you, he hadn’t stepped foot inside this stadium for over fifteen years. To be honest, after being a member of the elite four a couple of years later, he had no reason to return. The journey was also too far.</p><p>Raihan then led the group into the arena itself. Lance’s eyes widened. Unlike the front entrance, everything from the battlefield to the seating looked the same. The hundreds of dragon décor and paintings were still in their rightful places. Upon seeing this, he got a little emotional. He needed to get out of here or else he’d snap. This was the very reason why he didn’t want to leave the Pokémon League in the first place, because he knew he’d miss it and it would hurt; but in the end, he knew that retiring was the best decision for everyone.</p><p>Lance looked at the ground with a hint of sadness. Raihan saw this and immediately panicked. Did he do something wrong? What should he do to make him feel better? He had no idea what to do with an upset Champion. “Champion Lance, are you alright?”</p><p>Lance snapped out of his rancid thoughts. He said, a little embarrassed, “Oh – sorry.” He didn’t want Raihan to think he or his gym were to blame for his painful reminiscing. He said with a soft, assuring smile, “I’m fine, Raihan. It’s just hard walking back into a gym right after retiring from the Pokémon League. After a year, it’s still hard to get used to.” Maybe he should run while he had the chance, but that would just look bad for his reputation, and in front of another dragon trainer no doubt.</p><p>Ash and Goh looked at the former Champion and pitied him. Ash wouldn’t wish this on any Pokémon trainer; especially someone who had accomplished as much as Lance has. Ash said quietly, “Lance…”</p><p>“I understand,” Raihan nodded. He then forced his arm around Lance’s neck again. For a second, Lance thought that Raihan was going snap his neck and that he would die a very early death.</p><p>“ACK!”</p><p>“Let me show you more around the gym. Although it hasn’t changed much, there are some differences.”</p><p>And with that, Raihan gave the grand tour, but not the tour that Lance and his party had in mind. First, he brought everyone to the men’s washroom and talked about the new tiling, urinals, and how great the flush capacity on their toilets were. He then took them to the concession areas that were sort of unnecessary, and then wandered in the common areas where he talked about each light fixture. Basic maintenance was the main topic of Raihan’s tour, and by the end of it, Lance and Ash felt as if their souls had left their bodies, and Goh wondered what kind of tour he signed up for.</p><p>Forcing a smile, Lance said, “You must be very proud of your gym.”</p><p>Raihan clasped his hands together, and said with great enthusiasm, “You like it? You really like it?”</p><p>Lance’s eye twitched. “Yyyeeeah.” He thought, <em>“That was a waste of time. Hmm…maybe Raihan was just trying to make me feel better.” </em>He then looked at his watch; it was already two in the afternoon. The sun was at its peak, and if he didn’t eat something and ditch Ash and his friend in a forest somewhere that he sort of made up soon, he would be too late for any sort of isolated relaxation.</p><p>Raihan said, “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I…” he trailed off when they heard a noise coming from the other end of the arena. They were women, and they were just entering the area from the changerooms. They were all around Raihan’s height and showing off their new purple uniforms with orange stripes. Raihan waved to the women. “Oh, laaadddiiieesss! Come over here and meet Champion Lance!”</p><p>Lance grumbled, and said to himself, <em>“When will people realize that I’m not a Champion anymore?”</em></p><p>The women all stopped for a moment, wondering what on the earth the gym leader had just said. Well, they were aware of what was said, but they weren’t sure whether to believe him. “Who are they,” Lance asked.</p><p>“Oh, they’re my students. These lovely ladies range from ages 18-30. There’s a women’s only league tournament happening next month.”</p><p>“I see…”</p><p>Then, realizing that their gym leader was speaking the truth, the girls suddenly ran across the battlefield; and upon gawking at their stares, they were all aiming for Lance. There had to be at least twenty of them, and after seeing the possessiveness in their eyes and how fast they were running, Lance was ready to run as well, but he couldn’t do that. These people were the next generation of dragon trainers. He was not a legend in their eyes, he was an idol.</p><p>He then made the decision to run for his life, but before he could move a single step, the hoard of women were on top of him. Over the years, he had dealt with overly enthusiastic and obsessive fans every day; however, having twenty women on him at once was quite daunting. It scared him a bit.</p><p>The girls ogled all over their guest.</p><p>“It’s really Champion Lance!”</p><p>“He’s so much prettier in person.”</p><p>He then came to realize that these women were very beautiful. They then started touching him, as if confirming that he was really Lance in the flesh. He didn’t mind as long as it meant he could look at their large breasts just a little bit longer.</p><p>“Where’s your cape? It makes you look terribly sexy.”</p><p>“Can I have your picture? How about your autograph?”</p><p>“No, I want a picture!”</p><p>“I asked him first!”</p><p>“What’s your favourite dragon?”</p><p>Goh and Ash looked at the scene in front of them. Astonished by what he had just witnessed, Ash murmured, “That’s no fair. I’m a Champion too, and yet they all flock to him.”</p><p>Goh commented, “Yeah, it makes us look like losers.”</p><p>Then – without warning – another woman harshly grasped the collar of Lance’s red jacket, and shook him violently. “Oh, my Arceus! You are real! I can’t believe that I’m in the presence of a legend. I don’t deserve to walk on the same ground as you! Love me!” She then shook him some more.</p><p>Seeing that Lance was trapped and overwhelmed by this cluster of affection, Goh came to the rescue and shouted, “Get off of him! You do not deserve to walk on the same soil as him.”</p><p>The girls stopped, and Lance looked as if he had lost all of his HP.</p><p>Ash then exclaimed, “Lance, are you alright?”</p><p>Lance – red in the face – slightly turned his head towards his friends. He said gently and with a smug grin, “Hmph, nothing I can do about it now.”</p><p>Ash shouted back, “What?! You mean you actually like this? I thought you said that you didn’t want the attention!”</p><hr/><p>It was now three o’clock and Lance couldn’t believe he had actually been suckered in to doing a masterclass with his red Gyarados. It was all about how to raise dragon-type Pokémon, and how to properly train them, so that they’ll work with you rather than against you. Dragon Pokémon had unpredictable personalities, and that’s what made them fun and unique.</p><p>Of course, Ash and Goh were reeking of jealousy, and grumbling in the background. “Now he’s just showing off,” said Ash.</p><p>Lance <strong>was</strong> showing off. After all, he was going to try to take at least one woman with him to the beach today. He looked at the group and saw that they were watching him only. He tried to show them what the Gyarados could do and what its potential was, but their eyes didn’t move to the Gyarados once; they really weren’t listening to him. He might be leaving with two more women if he wasn’t careful.</p><p>Lance then said, “Alright everyone, any questions?”</p><p>All of the girls and Raihan raised their hands. Lance didn’t have time for this. He had kids to abandon and beaches to claim as his land. He scanned the crowd of raised hands from left to right. “No questions. Good.”</p><p>Everyone sat there, shocked.</p><p>“Any comments?”</p><p>The girls and Raihan raised their hands again, but much more aggressively. He scanned the crowd from left to right again. “No comments. Good.”</p><p>Everyone said, “ACK! What?”</p><p>Suddenly, a Dreepy appeared behind Lance’s head without his knowledge. The Dreepy started making stupid faces and mocking Lance behind his back.”</p><p>The dragon trainers in front of Lance laughed hysterically. A comical sweat drop ran down the back of Lance’s head. “W – what’s going on? Did I do something?” Then, he knew something was really going on when Ash and Goh were laughing alongside them.</p><p>Raihan then said, “Alright, ladies. Let’s get back to training. We don’t have all day.”</p><p>Then, the gorgeous dragon trainers left, and giggled all the way back to their gym bags. Lance crossed his arms and pouted, <em>“I guess I won’t be taking any women to the beach later.”</em> He then looked back at Ash and Goh who were still standing there, laughing. Having enough, Lance took a quick peek over his shoulder, and saw his Dreepy with his sunglasses on, and imitating its trainer. It escaped from its Pokéball again.</p><p>Lance scowled; terrible shadows were masking his black irises. “Making fun of me again, are you?” He found that if he intimidated the Dreepy a little, it backed off on its practical jokes. Lance then drew his Pokéball and tried returning the Pokémon to its place of rest, but the red beam of light kept missing its target. Lance couldn’t believe this was happening. He said, shocked, “Oh no, he doesn’t want to go back inside his Pokéball.”</p><p>Ash prodded the man with his elbow a sleek smile. “What’s the matter, Mr. Dragon Tamer? Is this one a little too wild for you to handle?”</p><p>Lance clenched his teeth and growled in frustration as he continued trying to get his Dreepy back in its Pokéball. Finally, the Dreepy vanished while humorously waving. Lance put away his Pokéball and said in utter defeat, “Great. I’m going to have a loose Dreepy following me around, and pulling every practical joke in the book, on every person in public. I’m ashamed to even call myself a Dragon Master now when I can’t even tame a Dreepy.”</p><p>Ash said, trying to make the man feel a little better, “Relax, Lance. I had a Charizard once that didn’t listen to me either, so you’re not alone.”</p><p>Then, without warning, Lance grabbed the ends of Ash and Goh’s ears. “Alright, we’ve seen what we came here for. Let’s get out of here, now.”</p><p>But before Lance could drag the boys out of the stadium with his belongings and a Dreepy in tow, a voice carried, “Wait, Champion Lance! As your number one fan, and idol of Hammerlocke stadium, I hereby challenge you to a double battle!”</p><p>Lance said, “What?”</p><p>“Yes,” Raihan said passionately, “I never thought this day would come. I <strong>forbid</strong> you to leave without showing you how strong dragon-type trainers in Hammerlocke are. By battling you, I will be one step closer to beating my rival, Leon. I…” Raihan stopped when he saw Lance on the sidelines in his lounging chair and sunglasses on. Lance had enough. If he wasn’t going to be able to relax on the beach, he might as well relax somewhere else; even if it were the gutter. Raihan shouted, “Hey, what’re you doing?”</p><p>While gawking at the ceiling, Lance said nonchalantly, “Sorry, but I humbly decline.”</p><p>Ash then slid into view, saying to Raihan sarcastically, “This is your Champion.”</p><p>“W-what? B-but…”</p><p>Lance shouted, “What part of I don’t battle anymore don’t any of you understand?”</p><p>Everyone was shocked at that outburst. Ash gave Lance a pitiful look again. He could tell that his friend was trying to push the world of Pokémon out of his life, and hated every minute of it. After seeing the disappointment in Raihan’s face, Ash said, “Well, if Lance doesn’t want to battle, then I will. I’m not the Champion of Alola for nothing!”</p><p>Raihan smiled in surprise. “Really? The Champion?”</p><p>“Yes, and just like you, although I lost, I want to get stronger and defeat Champion Leon!”</p><p>Raihan felt like he had just met his long-lost brother. “The same goals! Quick, I’ve got to take a selfie.” The man made sure that both he, Ash, Goh and Lance – looking miserable in his chair – got in the picture. After, Raihan said, “Well then, if you’re good enough to stand up against Leon, then I suppose that means you’re a worthy opponent for me.”</p><p>Ash and Raihan continued to talk in the background. Lance, in his own private world, decided to watch them straight through his shades. In all honesty, he was proud of Ash and what he had become over the years. The young man could go toe to toe with any trainer without fear, and that was what made Ash a truly unique character. Lance grinned from ear to ear. He almost felt as if Ash were the little brother he never had. Still with a smile, Lance then reached towards his other stuff, and pulled out a magazine to read. In the background, he heard:</p><p>“Alright, Go Pikachu!” Ash had shouted.</p><p>“PIKA!” Pikachu was ready to battle.</p><p>Then, Raihan said, “Let’s go, Gigalith.”</p><p>Lance knew he should’ve been paying more attention to his surroundings, and found a comfortable spot in the stands, because he wasn’t expecting to be buffeted by a sandstorm.</p><p>
  <em>Chapter 3 is next…</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please drop a comment. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Team Rocket Annoying Lance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here's chapter 3. I decided to do an epilogue, so that the pacing would work out and we can get a little more comedy in this story. I hope everyone is liking it so far.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ash and Raihan had been battling for five minutes thus far, and as expected, Ash and Pikachu found a way to win against Gigalith.</p><p>Ash said to Pikachu, “Great job, Pikachu! Let’s keep going!”</p><p>“PIKA!”</p><p>“That’s great work my brother. I can now see why you are Champion.” Raihan returned the Gigalith, and immediately sent out his next Pokémon. “Let’s go, Turtonator!” Turtonator appeared, and it was ready to fight.</p><p>The sandstorm stopped, and Lance could finally take the magazine off of his head, and shake the sand out of his hair and mouth. He then looked around and saw piles of sand surrounding his chair.</p><p>Raihan said first, “Turtonator, use Sunny Day!”</p><p>The Turtonator unleashed a bright light, and within seconds, harsh rays of sunlight enveloped the arena.</p><p>“A fierce battle between Hammerlocke’s Gym Leader and a Champion. This is amazing,” Goh said out loud. Curious, he then glanced over at Lance to see his reaction to the ferocious battle; however, he instantly regretted it when he saw Lance back in his lounging chair with his shades on and now shirtless. Because of Sunny Day and the enormous amount of sand around him, Lance already figured he was in a beach environment. Yes, he could finally relax and get a small tan.</p><p>Goh marched over to Lance. “Hey, are you paying any attention!?” The man didn’t answer. Goh tried again, “Lance!”</p><p>After the second attempt to berate the man, he finally came to a realization that Lance was fast asleep.</p><p>Goh murmured, “I can’t believe this guy.”</p><p>In the midst of light snoring, Lance said in his sleep, “Oh, Cynthia…”</p><p><em>“Huh?”</em> Goh raised a brow. <em>“Cynthia? What on earth is he dreaming about?”</em></p><p>Lance continued softly, “So you were a guy after all.”</p><p>Goh flinched. <strong><em>“What the hell?!”</em></strong> He then left, and continued to watch the battle with his arms crossed. He didn’t need to hear any more of this.</p><p>Ash and Raihan continued to battle their hearts out, but all of a sudden, a net appeared from the stands and trapped the Pikachu and Turtonator. Everyone, but Lance – who was still asleep – gasped. The two Pokémon in the net had no idea what was going on or what to do.</p><p>Ash ordered, “Pikachu, use Thunderbolt to get you and Turtonator out of there.”</p><p>Pikachu followed Ash’s orders, but the net wouldn’t break. It was soaking-in Pikachu’s electric attacks. Raihan then ordered Turtonator to use fire blast, but electricity quickly enveloped the net, and shocked both of the trapped Pokémon with blue electricity. After, they were both dirty and weakened.</p><p>Raihan said, “What the hell is going on?”</p><p>Ash said, “I think I know who this is.”</p><p>Then, familiar faces whose names were Jessie, James and Meowth appeared on the other side of the arena with the trapped Pokémon behind them. They laughed and Jesse started:</p><p>“Look, we caught the twerp’s Pikachu. Finally.”</p><p>James said, “Now we just have to get that Dragonite.”</p><p>They then sent out their most reliable Pokémon in their eyes; Arbok and Weezing. Meowth decided to join in the fun.</p><p>Frustrated, Ash turned to both Goh and Raihan. “Guys, let’s send out all of our Pokémon. Some will attack their Pokémon, and the rest will free the Pikachu and Turtonator.”</p><p>Raihan agreed. He took his Pokéballs out and threw them in the air, revealing Torkoal, Goodra, and Flygon; his Gigalith had already fainted from he and Ash’s battle. Ash then threw his, and out came Gengar, Dragonite and Riolu. Goh did the same, and Raboot came out, ready for anything that came its way.</p><p>Ash started, “Dragonite, use wing attack at Arbok. The rest of you free Pikachu!”</p><p>Raihan said, “Flygon, use Dragon Claw! Everyone else, rescue Turtonator!”</p><p>Goh said, “Raboot, help the trapped Pokémon!”</p><p>The Pokémon all did as they were told. The Dragonite, and Flygon both hit their targets, and the rest of the Pokémon started biting and scratching the net, but for some reason, they were struggling with it.</p><p>James said, “Weezing, use Dark Pulse!” A dark, semi-circle wave of black energy was sent at the Dragonite.</p><p>Ash shouted, “Dragonite, dodge it and strike Weezing with another Wing Attack!” The Dragonite acknowledged its trainer and landed another Wing Attack.</p><p>Jesse said, “Arbok, use Poison sting!”</p><p>Arbok opened its mouth, and needles of white light were shot at Flygon.</p><p>Raihan said in return, “Flygon, use Steel Wing to deflect the attack and end that Arbok!” Flygon nodded. Its wing was suddenly coated with a shiny substance, and then hardened. The Poison Sting attack hit the wing, but was deflected. It then struck its wing at the Arbok, and the Arbok fell over.</p><p>Then, without warning, two more nets appeared. One net caught the Pokémon helping Pikachu and Turtonator, and the other caught Dragonite and Flygon. All of the Pokémon panicked and tried to escape, but the net coated itself in three different elements, and started to drain every Pokémon’s energy. Finally, the captured Pokémon all fell over and moaned.</p><p>The trainers on the other side all stood there shocked as they witnessed Jesse and James holding larger than life Bazookas that shot nets instead of explosives.</p><p>Jesse said, “We did it, we got all of them!”</p><p>James said, thrilled, “And we caught a Dragonite!”</p><p>Meowth added, “It might be the twerp’s Dragonite, but a Dragonite is a Dragonite nonetheless.”</p><p>They all laughed somewhat menacingly.</p><p>Goh said in the distance. “No way…they’ve got all of our Pokémon.”</p><p>Raihan shouted, “I don’t know what your goal is here, but who the hell are you anyway?”</p><p>Goh yelled, “Give us back out Pokémon!”</p><p>Jessie said, “We thought you’d never ask. We are…” They then began stating their motto:</p><p>Jesse: Prepare for trouble!</p><p>James: Make it Double!</p><p>Jesse: To protect the world from devastation!</p><p>James: To unite all peoples within our nation!</p><p>Jesse: To denounce the evils of truth and love!</p><p>James: To extend our reach to the stars above!</p><p>Jessie: Jessie!</p><p>James: James!</p><p>Jessie: Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!</p><p>James: Surrender now or prepare to fight, fight, fight!</p><p>Meowth: Meeeeowth, that’s…</p><p>“Excuse me,” a voice bellowed. The three team members glanced to the side, and saw none other than Lance the G-man awake, and lounging in his chair with his arms crossed. “Can you keep it down?”</p><p>Team Rocket blinked. “EHHH?!”</p><p>Goh shouted, “Lance, what’re you doing? Get up and help us! You’re the only one with Pokémon left.”</p><p>Lance shrugged, “Relax guys, we’ll get them back. These people are complete bimbos. A Jigglypuff is more intimidating than them. If we wait two minutes, they’ll eventually sabotage their own plan.”</p><p>Meowth felt offended. He retorted, “Who are you calling Bimbo, Mr. Good-two-shoes!? You out of all people should remember us!”</p><p>Lance propped himself up. He then lowered his sunglasses and looked over at them. “I’m sorry, who’re you?”</p><p>The three Team Rocket members comically fell over.</p><p>They got up, and Jesse shouted, “We just told you!”</p><p>James added, “And I’m not going through that motto again!”</p><p>Ash gave Lance the Power Stare again, and Lance caved. He looked at the arena’s ceiling, and gawked at the forced sunlight one last time; as expected, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy that either. He then got up, and put on his black T-shirt. After, he wrapped his belt with his Pokéballs around his waist before joining the rest of the party. He noticed that the young men were concerned for their Pokémon’s well-being. Lance placed both of his hands on their shoulders, and reassured them, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you get them back. I promise.”</p><p>Lance then turned to face Team Rocket. He said, “You may be able to get my friend’s Pokémon, but you sure as hell won’t get mine.”</p><p>Team Rocket then smiled. Jesse said, “Big words for a shorter man.”</p><p>James continued, “Your Pokémon are no match for our traps.”</p><p>Meowth concluded, “We want those Dragonite, and we’ll be sure to get them.”</p><p>Having enough, Lance threw three Pokéballs. They all revealed Dragonite who were more than ready to follow their trainer’s orders. They all roared, and the arena shook.</p><p>Raihan folded his hands together as if he were in love. He thought cheerfully, <em>“It’s Lance’s Dragonite! I can’t believe I’m seeing this with my own eyes! Leon only saw his red Gyarados. He’ll be so jealous that he couldn’t battle such a strong Pokémon! I better take a picture, or he’ll just laugh and tell me that it didn’t happen.”</em></p><p>Lance said to all three Dragonite, “Dragonite, you know what to do!” Again, his orders were vague, but his Pokémon knew exactly what he wanted. They flew past Team Rocket.</p><p>The Dragonite tried clawing at the net Ash, Goh and Raihan’s Pokémon were in, but the net was like extremely thick leather, and hard to break. One of the Dragonite bit the netting instead, and the mesh started to tear. Pikachu and the other trapped Pokémon cheered on the Dragonite as it continued messing up the meshwork.</p><p>Ash’s Dragonite then started communicating with the second Dragonite helping it out of its net. It was scared, but Lance’s Dragonite gave it a curt nod, indicating that it’ll do everything in its power to get it out safely.</p><p>James said, “Oh, no. They’re messing everything up!”</p><p>Lance then sent out his Haxorus and Gyarados. “Haxorus, go cut the net with your tusks, but be careful; there are Pokémon inside. Gyarados, retrieve those idiots.” The Haxorus ran to the netting. It was on its way to shredding the mesh with its tusk while the Gyarados zoomed at Team Rocket; however, the two Pokémon were stopped when an overly large cannon under Meowth’s control shot out another net, trapping the Gyarados and Haxorus. Immediately, the net coated itself in electricity and stopped the two Pokémon from doing anything. Gyarados then collapsed from fatigue, and landed on top of Haxorus.</p><p>Then – just as quick – another net was released from the cannon, and trapped all three of Lance’s Dragonites in one go. Lance shouted, “Dragonite, bite and claw through that netting.” And they did just that. They could stand an electric attack, but a turn of events occurred, and the netting turned completely white and started glowing. It wasn’t long before the material got hard and started to crystalize.</p><p>Lance exclaimed, “What?”</p><p>The area the Dragonite were trapped in got cold, and within seconds, the Dragonite’s energy was diminishing.</p><p>Lance shouted again, a little panicked. Ice was his worst enemy. “All of you, Dragon Claw, NOW!” The Dragonite attempted to swipe at the netting, but with the mixture of harsh ice moves and energy depletion, the mesh was seemingly unbreakable. “No way.”</p><p>Ash said, “He’s got all of our Pokémon now.”</p><p>Goh asked, “What do we do?”</p><p>Raihan tried to think.</p><p>Lance then peered over his shoulder. Hiding behind a large pillar in the stands was his Dreepy, watching the battle carefully, but a little frightened. Poor little guy. It was a prankster, but it lacked confidence in battle when it saw that its friends were taken down so easily. Lance winked at the ghost-dragon type Pokémon before focusing back onto Team Rocket. The Dreepy saw that its trainer was still confident that they were going to win, and that relieved it and made it confident in itself. The Dreepy lightly giggled before vanishing.</p><p>Lance quietly said to the group beside him, “Everyone, I want you to be completely still.”</p><p>Ash shook his head. He said, surprised, “What?”</p><p>Stoic, Lance replied, “Do as I say.”</p><p>Ash, Goh and Raihan nodded in understanding. They still had no idea why, but they had to trust him. Lance then yelled across the arena, “Team Rocket, give up while you still can. Release those Pokémon and you won’t get hurt.”</p><p>Meowth replied, “Why should we? We’re the ones who’s winning.”</p><p>The Arbok and Weezing recovered from Flygon and Dragonite’s attacks. They placed themselves in front of their trainers. Meowth joined them.</p><p>James said with an unnerving smile, “We’ve got all of your Pokémon. None of you can do anything now.”</p><p>Lance smiled in return, revealing his hidden ego. “Not all of them.” He aimed a hand at Team Rocket and commanded at the top of his lungs, “Dreepy, Thunder Wave!!”</p><p>In a flash, the Dreepy appeared in front of Arbok, Weezing and Meowth. With a quick wave of its little arms, electricity soared throughout the stadium. The Thunder Wave wasn’t very well controlled due to the Dreepy’s inexperience, but it managed to hit all three of its targets, instantly paralyzing them.</p><p>Ash commented, “Woah, I didn’t know a ghost Pokémon could do that.”</p><p>“I get it now,” said Goh.</p><p>“Get what?” Ash asked.</p><p>Goh turned to his friend. “Lance wanted us to stay still, because Dreepy can’t properly control its attacks until it gets more experience; Lance is still training him. The Thunder Wave could have still struck us while standing in place, but if we would’ve been moving around, there would’ve been a greater chance that someone could have gotten injured.”</p><p>Ash said, “I see.”</p><p>Lance then ordered, “Dragon tail!”</p><p>Using all of its strength, the Dreepy slammed its tail end against the three Pokémon. The attack caused the opponent’s Pokémon to fly at least ten feet. The Weezing and Arbok were out cold, but Meowth was still awake, trying to recover from the initial Thunder Wave.</p><p>When the Dreepy had finished, it quickly floated back to Lance and hugged his face with a smile. Lance couldn’t help, but laugh and smile back. “Great job, Dreepy. Now, come with me and we’ll finish this.”</p><p>The Dreepy responded with a, “Hmph!”</p><p>Lance then walked over to Team Rocket’s side.</p><p>Ash said, “L-Lance what’re you doing?”</p><p>Raihan exclaimed, “It’s too dangerous to go over there!”</p><p>But Lance didn’t care. His main focus was to retrieve the trapped Pokémon. When he reached Team Rocket’s position, he stopped in front of James and stared directly into his eyes.</p><p>James shuddered and said with a voice crack, “What’re you looking at me like that for?”</p><p>Jesse was just as confused.</p><p>Lance clenched his right hand. “Some people see Pokémon as tools of destruction, while others view and cherish Pokémon as friends, but no matter the situation, Pokémon are loyal to their trainers, and mine have proven that to me over and over again. Throughout the years, my Pokémon have saved my ass from the greatest of enemies that I have ever come across, and upon looking at the position you have put my Pokémon in now…IT’S TIME FOR ME TO RETURN THE FAVOUR! AAARGGGH!” With manic eyes and one hard swing, Lance right hooked James into oblivion, and sent him flying.</p><p>Jesse screamed as she watched her partner get smoked by goody-two-shoes. “What’re you doing? What gives you the right to assault my partner in that manner!”</p><p>Goh shouted, “OH MY ARCEUS, LANCE! WHAT THE HELL!”</p><p>Raihan thought, <em>“My hero.”</em></p><p>And ash said, “I’ll remind myself never to piss off Lance.”</p><p>Lance gave Jesse a death glare in return. “You’re lucky I’m too decent to hit a woman, but if any of you hurt my friends or Pokémon again, I won’t hesitate to kill you.” He turned to the Dreepy beside him. “Dreepy, free the Pokémon.”</p><p>Jesse winced. She could tell that this man meant business.</p><p>Dreepy nodded. It used Swift. Dozens of stars appeared, and were sent to cut different parts of the netting. Eventually, the mesh severed and all of the Pokémon were freed. While Dreepy was keeping busy with his orders, Lance grabbed Meowth by the scruff. The third Team Rocket member attempted to scratch Lance’s face, but Lance was having none of it. After mustering up all his strength, Lance used all of his might to hurl the cat Pokémon across the arena, and into the nearest wall.</p><p>Ash, Goh, and Raihan’s Pokémon were now free. They were fatigued and some injured, but they managed to run back to their trainers without severe complications. Lance’s Pokémon – on the other hand – were a different story. The net the three Dragonite, Gyarados and Haxorus were trapped in were detached, but his Pokémon weren’t moving.</p><p>Lance went back to his Dreepy. “Fantastic work again, Dreepy.” They both then made their way to his fainted Pokémon. Lance went to each Dragonite first and asked softly, “Can you all hear me?” All three Dragonite weakly responded; it was rather pathetic to listen to. Lance pet one of the Dragonite as a means of comfort. He said, “Don’t worry, everyone. I’ll get you all healed up shortly.” The first order of business was getting his Gyarados and Haxorus back into their Pokéballs. When that was sorted, Lance returned to his Dragonite. He grabbed the rest of his Pokéballs on his belt, along with some medicine.</p><p>But as Lance tended to his Pokémon, Goh noticed something. “Lance, watch out!”</p><p>Upon hearing his name, Lance looked over his shoulder, and saw the Arbok free of the paralysis and towering over him. With a cunning smile, Jesse commanded, “Alright Arbok, let’s put goody-two-shoes G-man in his place! Arbok, use Glare!”</p><p>The Arbok looked deep into Lance’s eyes. The man’s body on the receiving end immediately stiffened. As the Pokémon’s attack took its effect, Lance could feel his muscles twitch, and feeling as if a million pins were poking at every nerve in his body. It didn’t hurt, he couldn’t feel anything; it was just an odd sensation.</p><p>It wasn’t long before Lance’s body collapsed, and he fell to his side in a heap. One of his Dragonite slowly opened its eyes and saw its trainer on the ground, unmoving. It whined and groaned, wanting to help him, but it was too weak to do so. Lance tried moving again, but it was impossible. He’d have to deal with the odd sensations, and hope that the Arbok wasn’t going to throw a Poison Sting at him.</p><p>Realizing that Lance was in trouble, Ash said to his reliable partner, “Quick, help Lance, Pikachu! Use Agility and then Thunder against that Arbok!”</p><p>Pikachu nodded, and did exactly as it was told. Its cheeks gathered electricity as it made its way to the Arbok at an incredible speed.</p><p>Raihan then sent out his own Pokémon, “Goodra, help Pikachu out with your Rain Dance.”</p><p>Goodra nodded, and waved its arms and tail. Rain started to pour in the arena. This caught everyone – including the Arbok – off guard. Then, Pikachu jumped into the air, and with the electrical energy it had collected in its little cheeks, released its power and struck the Arbok without fault.</p><p>The Arbok fell over, and Jesse stood there, shocked by everything that had occurred in the last few minutes. Meanwhile, the Dreepy was at Lance’s side, nudging his arms and legs, hoping that its trainer would move or try getting up. Lance was awake, and aware of his surroundings, but he just couldn’t move. The muscles in his body twitched again. He assured his ghost-dragon Pokémon positively, “I’m okay, Dreepy.” He tried moving again, but it was no use. He then shifted his eyes to the side and noticed the Weezing beginning to wake up from its paralysis. Even though its trainer was unconscious, it didn’t mean it wasn’t capable of inflicting some damage. Lance looked into Dreepy’s eyes. He said with a smile and resolve, “Dreepy, use Curse.”</p><p>Dreepy nodded. The Weezing then turned around and looked at Lance and Dreepy. Dreepy flew in front of Lance, protecting him from any more harm. Then, the Dreepy’s eyes turned red momentarily before the area got dark. The Weezing was petrified, and unsure of what was happening, but relatively quickly, its energy was being drained out of it. As this happened, Dreepy was getting just as tired. The Dreepy lowered itself to the ground, attempting to regain its strength. Remaining paralyzed, Lance managed, “You did great. Soon, you’ll get a nice long rest.”</p><p>Raihan waved an arm and shouted, “Goodra, the Pokémon is weak! Finish that Weezing off with Surf!”</p><p>Goodra quickly hurled a giant wave at the Weezing. The impact of the water sent the poison Pokémon flying, which hit Jesse in the process. As she attempted to push the fainted Weezing off of her, she pulled out her Pokéball and said, “Return, Arbok.”</p><p>Ash then sent out his Dragonite, “Dragonite, get Team Rocket out of here.” Ash’s Dragonite acknowledged its trainer’s commands.</p><p>Hearing Ash’s orders from afar, Lance said, “Dragonite. Any one of you. Are you able to do anything?” Two of them moaned in response, but one Dragonite slowly rose. After seeing its trainer paralyzed on the ground, it grew angrier. Finally, the Dragonite was on its feet and roared loudly. Lance said, “Dragonite, help Ash’s Pokémon get these idiots out of here.”</p><p>Ash’s Dragonite went and grabbed Meowth with a handful of talons, and James’ pant leg with another. Lance’s Dragonite then grasped Jesse’s arm and the Weezing. Quickly, the two Dragonite flew out of the arena and tossed Team Rocket into the air. Lance’s Dragonite then took its opportunity for vengeance by using a nasty Hyper Beam, hitting Team Rocket dead on.</p><p>Flying mid air, Jesse cried, “I can’t believe we lost!”</p><p>Meowth weakly added, “And to think we could’ve had all those Pokémon in our possession. We are so greedy.”</p><p>James, just waking up, exclaimed, “Oh no, why are we flying?”</p><p>Ignoring James, Jesse said, “Maybe goody-two-shoes is right. Maybe we are just a bunch of bimbos.”</p><p>Meowth finished, “and we’ll be going down the toilet instead of the history books.”</p><p>
  <strong>“TEAM ROCKET IS BLASTING OFF AGAAAIIIINNN!” *Ding*</strong>
</p><p>The two Dragonite took a moment to high five each other before turning back into the building. The dragon Pokémon eventually met up with the rest of their friends who were currently running to Lance’s aid. Pikachu got there first and poked the dragon trainer’s arm, hoping he’d move. “Pika…”</p><p>Lance assured, “I’m fine, Pikachu.”</p><p>Ash then knelt in front of his friend, “Lance, are you alright?”</p><p>Then, using its head, his one Dragonite nudged Lance’s forehead. He still couldn’t understand why his trainer wasn’t getting up.</p><p>Lance said, confidently and with a relaxed smile, “I’m fine, Ash. I just can’t move. Give me some time. The effects will eventually wear off. Trust me, I’ve been through this before.”</p><p>Raihan then said, “Come on, let’s walk it off.” With the help of Ash, Raihan was able to hoist Lance onto his feet. After a few minutes they got his legs working, but he could barely move his upper half.</p><p>Goh noticed Lance’s Dreepy on the ground, who had almost fainted from the Curse. He grabbed it and held it close to his chest, comforting it as it watched its trainer struggle.</p><p>Ash said, while he and Raihan aided their friend to the sidelines, “Sorry for ruining your day.” Both of their Dragonite followed.</p><p>Lance assured, “Don’t worry about it, Ash. Despite the interruptions, I think I had fun meeting new people, and battling once more with Pokémon under the odd circumstances. Not only that, I got to spend some time with a good friend. Wow, what a rush! I almost forgot what battling felt like. Oh – can you do me a favour? Can you grab the three Pokéballs from my belt, and retrieve my other Dragonite? They’re very weak, and we have to get them to a Pokémon centre straight away. Actually, I think we need to get everyone to a Pokémon centre.”</p><p>It took thirty minutes, but eventually, Lance was able to move again. Working together, everyone managed to gather their Pokémon, and they travelled to the nearest Pokémon centre to get everyone treated. Out of all the Pokémon, Lance’s Dragonite were in the worst shape, but they pulled through. In the waiting room, Lance quickly looked at his watch. It was now 7:00pm. He took a quick glance out of the window, and noticed that the sun was setting. Ash and Goh still felt bad for everything that had happened, but Lance told them that it was out of their control. He then added, “Besides, I won’t be able to enjoy my vacation now, because Team Rocket did a number on my Pokémon. I want them to be healthy so they can enjoy their retirement too.” Lance gave a warm smile. <strong>This</strong> was the Lance Ash knew. “Anyways, thank you for helping me out back there. Who knows what that Arbok would’ve done? And my apologies. I didn’t mean to be an asshole all day. I was just hoping to have a day without disruptions.”</p><p>Goh and Ash said together, “You’re welcome!”</p><p>Lance then said, “We’ll be waiting here for a while, so I think that this is an appropriate time to catch up. Ash, got any interesting stories for me?”</p><p>Ash clenched his fists, and said with exhilaration, “Do I ever!” He looked at Goh, “Should we tell him about the Lugia?”</p><p>Goh replied, “Yeah!”</p><p>Raihan watched from afar as his idol interacted with the two young men. All the red-haired man wanted was to enjoy some sunshine, and he felt bad too for not giving it to him, but Lance being the humble human being he was, would probably tell him that his thoughts were utter nonsense. Lance then noticed Raihan on the side, watching them. He said, “Raihan, come and join us! Ash has some great stories to share.”</p><p>Raihan was taken aback by the invite. “Y-yes, sir.”</p><p>
  <em>Epilogue is next…</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please leave a comment.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Epilogue (That's not Annoying Lance)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next day, Raihan and Lance were at the beach where the story first began. It was raining in the area, except for where they were currently sitting. They were in their personal lounging chairs, shirtless and with their drinks in hand; they also made sure that their sunglasses were glued to their face as to keep the harsh sunlight away from their sensitive eyes. Raihan’s Turtonator was consistently using Sunny Day, but it was rewarded constantly with a giant bowl of Galar’s finest Pokémon treats; it also had Lance’s beach umbrella over its head to shelter it from any rain.</p><p>They had been drinking for approximately two hours. Raihan was drowsy from his three drinks, but nonetheless, held his liquor well while Lance was pissed. After six drinks, he was at the point where he’d start sharing his deepest and darkest secrets.</p><p>With his voice wavering and slurring, Lance said, “You don’t understand Ra…Ra…ooooh – what’s your name again?” He was too far gone.</p><p>“Raihan…” The darker man looked at the former Champion unamused. Unlike Lance, Raihan was a sleepy drunk, or just calm when filled with alcohol.</p><p>“You don’t understand, Raihan! I havealota bullshit that I have to deeeal with.”</p><p>Raihan shook his head. Everyone had problems. What made him so special? “Like what? Ash Ketchum, for example?”</p><p>Lance stirred his half-finished drink. It was his sixth. “Hey, I might havalota problems, but they’re not even remotely close to Ash…that’s forsuuure.” He took another gulp. He started to notice that his homemade beergaritas were now going down like water. “Trust me, Ash is more of an annoyance thana problem. Okaaay – so he ruined my vacation, but he didn’t mean to.”</p><p>“Mmmm…”</p><p>Lance sighed before continuing, “If only Ash and his friend hadn’t tried stealing my Pokémon, I would’ve had the most relaxing day of my life.”</p><p>“Is that right?”</p><p>“Yeeeesss, you see, I don’t havealota time to myself,” he then harshly raised his arms in the air, and spilt some of his drink on himself, “I meaaaan, ever since I retired from the Pokémon League, I’ve been busier than ever. I knew I should’ve worked part time for the G-men. Ooohhhh, don’t get me started with the G-men.”</p><p>“Mhmm,” Raihan said, “I won’t.”</p><p>But Lance went on a tangent anyways, “I don’t know whatsup with them. I hate it! I’m sent to do these sssstupid missions where these sssstupid grunts have the most pathetic bad guy motivations. I mean – give me something a lil more dangerous and challenging. I don’t wanna face off against Pokémon that I can easily find in a pile o’ weeds. For yeeeeaaars, I’ve been working my ass off for them, but I’ve been gettin’ nuttin’ in return. Geeeez, I’m just about to leave them too.” There was more to the story, but Lance wasn’t going to get into that. No one needed to know about that.</p><p>When Lance finished, Raihan chimed, “You’re only thirty-six, Lance. You can’t just sit around and do nothing for the rest of your life; but then again, you’re a millionaire, so it doesn’t matter.” Raihan took another sip of his drink.</p><p>Lance then went quiet. He stared into the distance. Something was on his mind.</p><p>Raihan continued, “Unless…there is something else going on?”</p><p>“…There is.”</p><p>Raihan was taken aback since he was expecting a no. “Really!?”</p><p>Lance nodded, slowly. “The Commissioner…of deh Pokémon League contacted me. They want me to come back.”</p><p>Raihan said, confused now, “Come back as what? A Champion?”</p><p>Lance shook his head. He then hiccupped, “Naaahh…Commissioner.”</p><p>Raihan’s eyes widened. “Commissioner? Are you serious? Why?”</p><p>Lance shrugged, “The man is eighty-five years old. He looked at my previous accomplishments and thought that I’d be a good replacement. We haven’t talked about it in person yet, just in writing; however, I want to talk to some people about it first.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“I dunno…I guess it’s jusssta habit. I’m not sure why I’d be a good candidate for the job, but I guess they’ll tell me eventually. Y-know, everything is so confusing right now. Maybe I should do a career change, and work for the funeral business, because that’s what ma life feels like right noooow…a funeraaal. Ooooor I could become a farmer.”</p><p>“I think Commissioner would be good for you, Lance. You’ve been a Champion for a long time, and took care of your regions well. It would be a step up, and you might be happier. You obviously miss being in the Pokémon League.”</p><p>“Suuure do,” Lance stirred his drink again, “but goin’ back to deh Pokémon League will stiiirrr too many emotions and memories for me to mentally handle. It reminds me of why I shouldn’ta left.” He laughed hesitantly, “Seriously, I shouldn’t be sayin’ this stuff. Don’t talk about it to anyone else, okay?”</p><p>“I promise I won’t.” Raihan then finished his beergarita. After licking his lips, he said, “I still don’t understand why you’re trying so hard to push everything concerning the Pokémon League out of your life. You call yourself washed-up, but it’s obvious that you still have a great presence in the Pokémon community. If you really want people to stop calling you a Champion, then make them call you something else. Besides, if you became Commissioner, you’d be able to see all of your old friends again, and watch the next generation of Pokémon trainers rise and surpass you,” he paused momentarily before saying, “and I’m sure your girlfriend would be better off knowing that you’d be doing something much safer.”</p><p>Lance blushed before shouting, “She’s not my girlfriend!” He then downed his drink. “We’re goooood friends, but I cannae stand her sometimes.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“That woman thinks she’s so slick. She just sits there and plays me like a fiddle.” He then mocked Cynthia by speaking in a higher tone of voice, “Oh Lance, you’re so wonderful, you’re such a great man and trainer, and you are a great asset to this region, so please do this for me.” He then went back to speaking normally, “And then she turns around and jus’ leaves while I’m stuck with all her dirty work for months, because she's busy 'researching.' Researching...pfft...researching my ass.”</p><p> Raihan asked, “Does she have control over the G-men or something?”</p><p>“No, but she always asks me for favours, and I always accept, because she’s one helluva sweet talker.” Lance then turned to Raihan and grinned. He asked, “Have I ever told you that I love you, Ra-Rawr…what’s your name again?”</p><p>Raihan chuckled, “I think you’re done for tonight.”</p><p>Lance pouted, “Awww, you’re no fun.”</p><p>“If I give you anymore, I’m going to have to drag you back to the hotel, and wouldn’t that be embarrassing for you?”</p><p>Suddenly, Lance felt sick to his stomach. He said, blue in the face, “I wanna go back to Joh…uh…where do I live again? Johto? Sinnoh? Where’s my cape? Where’s my caaaape? The Pokémon world needs to be saved – I need my cape.”</p><p>Raihan looked at his Turtonator to see how it was doing. As suspected, it was eating happily as it continued to use Sunny Day on the dreariest of afternoons.</p><p>Then, Lance piped up once more, “Raihan?”</p><p>“Hmmm?”</p><p>“Seriously, thanks for listening, and doing this for me. Despite the interruptions yesterday, I’m glad that I met you and made a friend.”</p><p>Raihan smiled. “Thanks, Lance. I’m glad I met you too. I think we’re going to be great friends in the future. Whether you’re a Commissioner or not.”</p><p>
  <strong>THE END</strong>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>That's it. Thanks for reading. This fic was a lot of fun to write.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please leave a comment. :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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